Sony finally unveiled thePlayStation 5this past Thursday along with some big exclusives, like the highly anticipatedsequel toHorizon: Zero Dawn. But Sony also shared something that fans will become quite familiar with later this year: the startup sound for the PS5. And a new video from ProsafiaGaming showcases how the PlayStation startup has evolved
It all starts from the small beginningsof the original PlayStation. The PS1 opened on a white screen while the now-famous powerful synth played as it showed the Sony Computer Entertainment logo. That sound then changed gave way to some other synth sounds with a black backdrop for the PlayStation logo.
RELATED:PS5 vs. Xbox Series X Console Design Breakdown
The PlayStation 2, which was the best selling console of all time and hadan incredible list of games, starts with another, somewhat similar synth sound, while it displays the PS2’s iconic geometry amongst smoke with some lights swirling about. The screen then goes black before the PlayStation 2 “bwoo” chime.
The PlayStation Portable shows off a colored wave, an effect that would become the background for the XrossMediaBar, which is still used on the PlayStation 4 and other Sony hardware like blu-ray players today. The chime that follows has what sounds like an acoustic guitar accompanied by some synth.
The PlayStation 3 is the only system to have two iterations of its startup, the second of which was introduced in firmware update 3.0. The first features the sound of an orchestra warming up while the XrossMediaBar wave and the words “Sony Computer Entertainment.”. The PS3 doesn’t play its bell-like chime until after you select a game to boot up, however. The chime would be accompanied by the PlayStation 3 logo, which was written in the same font that Sony used for the Sam Raimi-eraSpider-Manmovies.
The second version features a slightly different and shorter orchestra warming up, accompanied by the new, much smoother logo design for the PS3, a design that will continue into the PS4 and Vita. The second PS3 intro is the first time Sony included a Photosensitive Epilepsy Warning.
The Vita starts up with a black screen hosting a white PlayStation logo, followed by the Photosensitive Epilepsy Warning, but with no sound. The Vita then unceremoniously dumps into its “Bubble” style menu.
The PS4 also starts with a white logo on a black background, before the Photosensitive Epilepsy Warning with the return of the XrossMediaBar wave. It then prompts the user to “Press the PS button to use the controller." The PS4 utilizes what is more like a continuous atmospheric song as you turn the console on and then go through the XrossMediaBar.
Opting for something a little different than Sony’s past consoles,the PS5 will start with a lot of bokeh(out of focus lights) after a new “See important health and safety warnings in the Settings menu" prompt before pressing the PS button on the controller. Much like the design of the console itself, Sony seems to be going for a more elegant approach, with the understated opening and the choice of gold for the bokeh.
Fans don’t know yet what comes after this screen on the PS5, so it is unknown if the XrossMediaBar will still be in use or not. It is likely PlayStation fans will not find out until the console releases later this year.
